Alabama
Gov. Kay Ivey pushes for school voucher-like program in State of the State – Alabama Reflector
Gov. Kay Ivey called for the creation of a voucher-type program for Alabama public school students and a variety of programs on education and health in her annual State of the State address on Tuesday.
The governor also called for high starting salaries for teachers and a pilot program to deliver care to pregnant women in the state.
The voucher-type program, called the CHOOSE Act, was the climax of a speech that touched on several big issues in the state – particularly prisons and low workforce participation – without providing specific details on addressing them.
The CHOOSE Act, filed by Sen. Arthur Orr, R-Decatur, earlier on Tuesday, would create a schedule of tax credits for parents to use. For the first two years, it would offer a tax credit of up to $7,000 for households making up to 300% of the poverty level – about $75,000 a year for a family of three – to use toward private school tuition. The income cap would be lifted in the third year of the program.
“As additional families choose to participate in the program, and as our revenue increases, we can grow the program responsibly so that it can be fully universal for every Alabama family who wishes to participate,” Ivey said.
She said the goal would be to put the state “on a trajectory to make our program fully universal.”
Ivey also called for teacher raises, calling for Alabama to have the highest starting salary for teachers among neighboring states, and called for it to be done in this session.
“At the end of the day, I believe the CHOOSE Act — packaged with providing our K-12 teachers the highest starting salaries — will help our public schools become even stronger,” she said.
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Finance Director Bill Poole earlier Tuesday said Governor Kay Ivey’s proposed General Fund budget would amount to about $3.3 billion, an 8.16% rise from the current year, with an ETF proposal of $9.3 billion, marking a 6.25% increase.
Poole said the governor would emphasize education savings accounts, targeted K-12 funding, and additional allocations for specific education-related initiatives within the proposed budgets.
Alabama lawmakers were briefed by finance officials Tuesday morning regarding the condition of the state’s two budgets, in which they called for caution in the foreseeable future.
Kirk Fulford, the director of the Fiscal Division of the Alabama Legislative Services Agency, projected appropriations for the Education Trust Fund budget (ETF), responsible for K-12 education, will grow from approximately $8.8 billion to $9.3 billion for the fiscal year 2025. Similarly, appropriations for the General Fund, funding non-educational aspects, were estimated to increase from $3 billion to $3.36 billion in 2025.
Fulford highlighted the unprecedented growth in education revenue in recent years, fueled primarily by substantial federal pandemic relief funds. Poole echoed Fulford’s presentation regarding the unsustainable nature of the rapid growth in education budget in recent years.
House Minority Leader Anthony Daniels, D-Huntsville, was concerned with what would be the threshold for the families in need. He said he imagines the threshold to be a family yearly income of $75,000, which is not something he could get behind.
“I think that using the term ‘low-income,’ I don’t necessarily know that that threshold fits that description of what low income means” Daniels said.
He feels that Alabama needs to look at and repair its current education system, instead of building a new one, which he called uncertain and “with no proven track record.”
“We have public charters. We have AAA. We have public schools,” he said. “How many more options do you need?”
Senate Minority Leader Bobby Singleton, D-Greensboro, expressed concerns about private schools’ lack of accountability and proposed stricter certification requirements for teachers, and said that public schools are what’s best for children.
“Families that are most in need, most likely, if there’s no transportation, they can’t get to the next county or the next best school if it’s not within their area. That says a whole lot but it says nothing to me,” he said.
Gambling
Ivey Tuesday reiterated her long-held position that Alabamians should vote on gaming.
“This year when Alabamians make their way to the ballot box, I hope they will be voting on another issue: gaming,” she said.
Two House Republicans – Reps. Andy Whitt of Harvest and Chris Blacksher of Smiths Station – are developing gambling legislation that they said could have lottery, casino and enforcement provisions, though the details have not been made public.
Any legalized gambling in Alabama requires a constitutional amendment that would be submitted to voters for approval. If the Legislature approves a gambling bill, it will go straight to the ballot. The governor does not have a role in the process.
Ivey said she would be “carefully watching” the legislation as it moves through the Legislature.”
Daniels said they are in a good place, but he couldn’t say for certain where they are in the negotiations since there are lawmakers still opposed to it.
“We’re still working out the details,” he said.
Prisons
Gov. Ivey said the Alabama Department of Corrections “remains a key focus in our state’s public safety efforts.”
She said they are moving forward with building two new state prison facilities. Last year, the price for one prison topped $1 billion, taking up almost all the funding allocated by the Legislature for two new men’s prisons in 2021.
”We are moving forward in our mission to build two new facilities,” she said, though she did not share details.
Ivey also praised ADOC Commissioner John Hamm, saying there was “no one more capable to lead” efforts to improve state prisons.
The state’s prisons have faced overcrowding and violence for decades. In 2020, the U.S. Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against Alabama following two reports on physical and sexual assaults within men’s correctional facilities.
According to Alabama Appleseed, 325 people died in the state’s prisons last year.
Health care
In her speech, Ivey suggested that the Alabama School of Healthcare Sciences, which she proposed for Demopolis as its location, could be a solution to health care concerns, especially in rural Alabama.
“This school will directly expose young men and women from around Alabama, and particularly rural students, to various healthcare fields, and it gives them options,” she said.
Ivey also said she launching a pilot program to provide pregnant people with checkups at nine county health departments that she said was in areas of need, crediting Alabama being a “pro-life state.”
“I am more committed than ever to protect the sanctity of life, and as I said on this occasion last year, our work is not done” she said.
Alabama has some of the highest rates of maternal mortality in the South.
Economic development
In her speech, Ivey also said her administration is committed to reforming the state’s workforce development sector but didn’t provide specifics.
“When it comes to workforce developments, there are two customers: jobseekers and employers,” she said.
She said Alabama must raise the workforce participation rate, which is below the national average, at 57%. She said that Alabama can’t reach “its full potential with nearly half of its population on the sidelines.”
Alabama’s workforce participation rate has trailed the nation’s since 1976. Experts say a lack of access to child care and transportation play a role.
Singleton, who credited Alabama’s economy and low unemployment rate to President Joe Biden, said that having a job is different from having a job with a livable wage. He said that, especially in rural Alabama, people have to travel to work, some over an hour. He said the state needs to create jobs in rural areas so that people don’t have to travel over an hour to work.
“We must develop jobs in our rural areas so that people don’t have to travel so far to be able to make it to work, so they’ve got dollar that they are making to equal to something that means something to them,” Singleton said.
Even on a neutral floor, Alabama should feel plenty of support from the Birmingham crowd at Legacy Arena — enough to keep No. 1 Arizona on its toes.
Photo By – Imagn Images. Alabama Crimson Tide guard Aden Holloway (2) drives to the basket.
The Arizona Wildcats are regarded as the best team in the land once again and will put that moniker to the test when they hit the road to face Alabama in Birmingham.
Both of these teams will come into this matchup off strong wins. The Wildcats beat Tide rival Auburn by nearly 30 points, while Alabama blew out UTSA by 42.
I break down the matchup in my Alabama vs. Arizona predictions & college basketball picks for Saturday, December 13.
Arizona vs Alabama prediction
Arizona vs Alabama best bet: Alabama +1.5 (-110)
In name only, this will be a neutral site game but given the geography between the two teams and the fact that this game will be played in Birmingham, this is certainly going to be a very pro Tide crowd.
With that at the forefront, it’s enough to shift things and make Alabama my best bet to cover. I projected this number closer to three.
The Tide have the best unit on the floor: It’s offense. The Nate Oats math-ball shot profile led by Labaron Philon and Aden Holloway is kinda exactly what you want here.
Arizona’s defensive profile is more conducive to slowing down your traditional post and big to big actions, not exactly this one. What’s particularly concerning is allowing an above average scoring rate (.93 points per possession) on attacks + kicks along with 1.02 points per possession on big cuts and rolls.
These are two items that are a foundation of the Alabama offense. Their clearest edge is in transition and on the offensive glass, areas Alabama can at least partially control by taking care of the ball and keeping the floor spaced.
In a game that should be played in the 80s possession-wise with huge three-point volume, I’d rather have the side with more proven perimeter shot-making and multiple paths to scoring efficiently.
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Arizona vs Alabama same-game parlay
I started things off here with Holloway to go over his assists number. He’s the primary facilitator on the big cut-and-rolls, meaning he should benefit the most from these sets with an increase in assist volume.
This doesn’t even begin to mention how he’ll likely find some easy ones in transition.
Speaking of transition, I’ll finish our same-game parlay off with Jaden Bradley to go over his points total because of it. Alabama, somewhat a product of how they play, has one of the worst transition defenses in the country, and Bradley may be the best transition scoring option on the floor.
Arizona vs Alabama SGP
- Aden Holloway Over 4.5 assists
- Jaden Bradley Over 16.5 points
- Alabama +1.5
Our beyond the arc SGP: Wrightsell shoots from deep
Latrell Wrightsell should get plenty of clean looks from deep given how Arizona is likely to defend Alabama, so I paired his over 1.5 threes with the game Over.
I’m close to market on the number, but with two awful transition defenses, the pace and easy-runout points make me lean higher.
Arizona vs Alabama SGP
- Alabama +1.5
- Aden Holloway Over 4.5 assists
- Jaden Bradley Over 16.5 points
- Over 178
- Latrell Wrightsell Over 1.5 threes
Arizona vs Alabama odds
- Spread: Arizona -1.5 (-110) | Alabama +1.5 (-110)
- Moneyline: Arizona -130 | Alabama +110
- Over/Under: Over 178 (-110) | Under 178 (-110)
Arizona vs Alabama betting trend to know
Arizona has hit the 1H Moneyline in 29 of their last 37 games (+21.10 Units / 1% ROI). Find more college basketball betting trends for Arizona vs. Alabama.
How to watch Arizona vs Alabama
| Location | Legacy Arena at BJCC, Birmingham, AL |
| Date | Saturday, December 13, 2025 |
| Tip-off | 9:30 p.m. ET |
| TV | ESPN |
Arizona vs Alabama key injuries
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Not intended for use in MA.
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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Former U.S. Sen. Doug Jones, the last Democrat to hold statewide office in Alabama, kicked off his campaign for governor Friday, saying voters deserve a choice and a leader who will put aside divisions to address the state’s pressing needs.
“With your help we can finish what we began. We can build the Alabama we’ve always deserved,” Jones told a packed crowd at a Birmingham campaign rally featuring musician Jason Isbell.
He said the state has urgent economic, health care and educational issues that are not being addressed by those in public office.
The campaign kickoff came on the eighth anniversary of Jones’ stunning 2017 win over Republican Roy Moore, and Jones said Alabama proved back then that it can defy “simplified labels of red and blue.”
“You stood up and you said something simple but powerful. We can do better,” Jones said. “You said with your votes that our values, Alabama values, are more important than any political party, any personality, any prepackaged ideology.”
His entry into the race sets up a possible rematch with Republican Sen. Tommy Tuberville, who defeated Jones by 20 points in 2020 and is also now running for governor. Both will have party primaries in May before the November election.
Before running for office, Jones, a lawyer and former U.S. attorney, was best known for prosecuting two Ku Klux Klansmen responsible for Birmingham’s infamous 1963 church bombing.
Former Sen. Doug Jones, D-Ala., and gubernatorial candidate speaks during an event Friday, Dec. 12, 2025, in Birmingham, Ala. Credit: AP/Brynn Anderson
In an interview with The Associated Press, Jones said families are having a hard time with things like health care, energy bills and simply making ends meet.
“People are struggling,” he said. “They are hurting.”
Jones used part of his speech to describe his agenda if elected governor. He said it is time for Alabama to join most states in establishing a state lottery and expanding Medicaid. Expanding Medicaid, he said, will protect rural hospitals from closure and provide health care coverage to working families and others who need it.
He criticized Tuberville’s opposition to extending Affordable Care Act subsidies. Jones said many Alabama families depend on those subsides to buy health insurance “to keep their families healthy.”
Former Sen. Doug Jones, D-Ala., and gubernatorial candidate speaks during an event Friday, Dec. 12, 2025, in Birmingham, Ala. Credit: AP/Brynn Anderson
Alabama has not elected a Democratic governor since Don Siegelman in 1998. In 2020, Tuberville held Jones to about 40% of the vote, which has been the ceiling for Alabama Democrats in recent statewide races.
Retired political science professor Jess Brown said Jones lost in 2020 despite being a well-funded incumbent, and that’s a sign that he faces an uphill battle in 2026.
“Based on what I know today, at this juncture of the campaign, I would say that Doug Jones, who’s a very talented and bright man, is politically the walking dead,” Brown said.
Jones acknowledged being the underdog and said his decision to run stemmed in part from a desire for Tuberville not to coast into office unchallenged.
Jones pointed to recent Democratic victories in Georgia, Mississippi and other locations as cause for optimism.
Tuberville, who previously headed up the football program at Auburn University, had “no record except as a football coach” when he first ran, Jones said. And “now there are five years of being a United States senator. There are five years of embarrassing the state.”
Jones continued to question Tuberville’s residency, saying he “doesn’t even live in Alabama, and if he does, then prove me wrong.” Tuberville has a beach house in Walton County, Florida, but has repeatedly said Auburn is his home.
Tuberville’s campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment but has previously noted that he defeated Jones handily in 2020. Tuberville spent part of Friday with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in Huntsville to mark the official relocation of U.S. Space Command from Colorado to Alabama.
Jones’ 2017 victory renewed the hopes, at least temporarily, of Democratic voters in the Deep South state. Those gathered to hear him Friday cheered his return to the political stage.
“I’m just glad that there’s somebody sensible getting in the race,” Angela Hornbuckle said. “He proved that he could do it as a senator.”
Alabama Shakes have lined up a string of North American tour dates for 2026. Brittany Howard and the band’s spring run includes multiple stops in Florida and a concluding two-night stint at Red Rocks Amphitheater in Denver, Colorado. Check out the new dates, plus their previously announced festival shows, European itinerary, and Zach Bryan support dates, below.
Support for the headline shows comes from Joy Oladokun, Mon Rovîa, Lamont Landers, and JJ Grey & Mofro. For every ticket sold, $1 will go towards nonprofits around the United States via the Alabama Shakes Fund, a press release notes. There is, as yet, no word on a follow-up to the band’s 2015 album, Sound & Color, but they did sign to Island this year and release their first single since that record.
Alabama Shakes:
04-16 Richmond, VA – Allianz Amphitheater at Riverfront ~
04-17 Asheville, NC – ExploreAsheville.com Arena ~
04-18 Charleston, SC – High Water Fest
04-22 Memphis, TN – Grind City Amphitheater +
04-24 Atlanta, GA – Synovus Bank Amphitheater at Chastain Park +
04-25 Raleigh, NC – Red Hat Amphitheater +
04-26 St. Augustine, FL – St. Augustine Amphitheatre %
04-28 Tallahassee, FL – Adderley Amphitheater %
04-29 Boca Raton, FL – Sunset Cove Amphitheater %
04-30 Clearwater, FL – The BayCare Sound %
05-02 New Orleans, LA – New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival
05-24 Morrison, CO – Red Rocks Amphitheatre #
05-25 Morrison, CO – Red Rocks Amphitheatre #
06-13 Manchester, Tennessee – Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival
07-01 Leeds, England – Millennium Square
07-02 Wasing, England – On the Mount at Wasing
07-03 London, England – Alexandra Palace *
07-05 Ghent, Belgium – Gent Jazz Festival
07-07 Lucca, Italy – Summer Festival
07-09 Lisbon, Portugal – NOS Alive Festival
07-10 Bilbao, Spain – BBK Live
07-11 Madrid, Spain – Noches del Botanico
07-25 Eugene, OR – Autzen Stadium ^
09-19 Dover, DE – The Woodlands ^
~ with Joy Oladokun
+ with Mon Rovîa
% with Lamont Landers
# with JJ Grey & Mofro
* with Tyler Ballgame
^ supporting Zach Bryan
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